Green, wearing an American flag designed tie, stood at a podium designated for Republicans to deliver his message, denouncing the president’s foul language to describe football players to protest racist police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem.

Rep. Al Green: Next week "I will call for the impeachment of the President of the United States." (via CSPAN) pic.twitter.com/EZZup7RARg

In May, he played recordings of threatening voice messages from callers who were outraged by his impeachment efforts. Some of the callers used the n-word, and at least one threatened to lynch the Black congressman.

According to The Hill, Green plans to file a “privileged” resolution, which alleges that an action violates the dignity and integrity of the House. He can force a procedural vote under House rules. However, GOP lawmakers are expected to vote against it.

Green previously joined an article of impeachment from Rep. Brad Sherman, a California Democrat. It alleged that the president obstructed justice when he fired then FBI director James Comey while he oversaw the ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia.

Sherman’s impeachment article accused Trump of committing “high crimes and misdemeanors.” He also described Trump as the nation’s “amateur president,” who is clearly unfit for office and unwilling to learn.SOURCE: The Hill

St. Louis police allegedly assaulted one of their own following protest over the acquittal of ex-officerJason Stockleyin the 2011 murder of Anthony Lamar Smith. During mass arrests Sunday known as”kettling,” officers managed to arrest and (allegedly assault) an undercover cop, an Air Force lieutenant, a medical student, a handful of photojournalists, and two high school students, among others, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Officers claim the arrest of one of their own was a case of “mistaken identity,” the Post-Dispatch reports. “On Friday, Mayor Lyda Krewson asked the director of public safety to investigate how an undercover officer became bloodied during his arrest Sunday when he was mistaken for a suspect believed to be carrying chemicals that could be sprayed on officers,” the report says. The “bloodied” officer was knocked down, zip-tied, and hit three times before being arrested.

Lieutenant Alex Nelson said he was not protesting, but rather walking through his own neighborhood when he was “kicked in the face, blinded by pepper spray and dragged away,” the report says.

While the police department’s kettling tactics aren’t new, they seem to be garnering media attention because the protests moved to an area where propertied White people were affected. “I hear the police say it was their street, but it’s literally my street,” Lieutenant Nelson said. “I have coffee on that street, and I own property on that street.”

Martin’s claim seemingly targeted one person in particular who has been organizing daily protests outside of the Crowne Plaza hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, where Jenkins’ body was found frozen in a walk-in storage freezer on September 9.

“Who else could she have been talking about?” Jedidiah Brown asked the Chicago Sun Times during a recent interview. Brown told the Sun Times that he had raised more than $6,000 to supplement any relevant legal fees.

Still, Brown went ahead and organized a protest for Tuesday despite Martin’s calls for the demonstrations to end.

Martin’s appeal to have the protests end came as a social media chorus grew louder wondering about the status of the investigation into Jenkins’ death. The prospects of her death going unsolved like so many other black teens before her was a main concern of many on Twitter.

It's starting to look like we'll never know what really happened to Kenneka Jenkins.

Jenkins’ funeral has been scheduled to take place on the South Side of Chicago on Saturday, Martin also said in the Facebook video.

Meanwhile, details of the Rosemont Police Department’s investigation into Jenkins’ death have been scarce while authorities await autopsy results. The cause of death has not yet been revealed and there is no surveillance footage of her entering the freezer. The absence of both have prompted a whirlwind of conspiracy theories, which authorities have said only slowed their investigation.

Martin has pleaded for the FBI to intervene and launch its own independent probe, but Rosemont police declined the participation of the federal agency.

]]>https://newsone.com/3749591/kenneka-jenkins-money-scam-protesters-activists-profit/feed/0Teen from Chicago found dead in walk-in freezer at hotelionebwrightClarence Thomas Display Added To Black History Museum Exhibitshttps://newsone.com/3749548/clarence-thomas-african-american-history-museum/
https://newsone.com/3749548/clarence-thomas-african-american-history-museum/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 15:11:02 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3749548]]>Conservatives have long complained about the omission of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. They are now rejoicing.

The Washington Times reports that the museum, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary, announced Monday that it installed a display on Sunday honoring the nation’s second African-American high court justice.

Thomas’ unwavering conservatism from the bench has long riled the civil rights community, as he typically sides with the rightwing justices who disapprove affirmative action programs that level the playing field and who also oppose eliminating racial bias in the voting system.

According to the news outlet, Thomas appears with Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice, in an exhibit that honors both men.

When the museum opened last year, FOX Newsnoted that the exhibits “conspicuously ignored” Thomas, describing him as a “powerful Black political figure,” second only to President Barack Obama. The inclusion of Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of sexual harassment, and quarterback Colin Kaepernick in museum displays added fuel to the fire.

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz was one of six GOP lawmakers to introduce a congressional resolution urging the museum to give Thomas a “prominent place,” The Hill reported.

Kneeling alongside the Dallas Cowboys before the Monday Night Football game was never about the “equality,” that team owner Jerry Jones said the gesture represented. Instead, it was about the billionaire protecting his bottom line: the NFL revenue stream that keeps him part of the elite “one percent.”

Oh, and it was also about the president, whose tweets and overall criticism of NFL players protesting police brutality and social injustice are likely just as responsible for the dip in attendance this season as much as the protests are.

The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was loudest I have ever heard. Great anger

In the process, Jones’ kneeling all but bastardized the true meaning of what the protest started by Colin Kaepernick last season truly represents.

Jones may hate to lose games, but the billionaire probably hates to lose money even more. When Trump challenged NFL owners to fire players who protested, Jones likely had no other choice but to offer a gesture of unity with his players in order to placate lost fans who may be swayed to spend their money on the NFL and help further line the owner’s pockets.

If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect….

At the same time, Jones was thumbing his nose to Trump, whose campaign and inauguration was partly bankrolled by the Texas magnate to the tune of more than $1 million. By Jones taking a knee, he simultaneously made a play to safeguard his future NFL earnings and unite his team’s locker room, all while subliminally threatening to withhold his support – monetary and otherwise – of the president’s re-election efforts for 2020.

Because, after all, if Jones was truly sincere about the plight for Black people to achieve social justice in America, why wouldn’t he at the very least have taken a knee for the first game of the season, let alone last season?

[ione_media_gallery id="3478918" overlay="true"]]]>https://newsone.com/3749527/jerry-jones-knee-anthem-trump-controversy-protest-cowboys/feed/0Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver BroncosionebwrightNEWS ROUNDUP: Trump Says Puerto Rico ‘Doing Well;’ Anthony Lamar Smith Honoredhttps://newsone.com/3749520/trump-puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-tweet/
https://newsone.com/3749520/trump-puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-tweet/#respondTue, 26 Sep 2017 13:41:12 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3749520]]>In 45’s delusional world, Puerto Rico is “doing well.” At least that’s what he said in a tweet on Monday, referring to the fact that the people of the country are receiving food, water and medical assistance… because that’s all they need, right? (Insert sarcasm here). But he also stated that they’re in “deep trouble.”

“[Puerto Rico] was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt,” he tweeted on Monday. “It’s old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated. Much of the Island was destroyed, with billions of dollars owed to Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, must be dealt with.”

On Monday, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged the Pentagon to send more recovery help to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

As protests continue in the city of St. Louis, the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved on Friday a resolution honoring Anthony Lamar Smith, who was killed by police six years before the officer who shot him was acquitted of murder earlier this month. Mayor Lyda Krewson also stated she wants to strengthen the city’s Civilian Oversight Board, which investigates complaints against police, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“[Smith’s] mother had to wait six years for justice, which she still did not get,” Alderman John Collins-Muhammad said. “So I invited her here today to let her know the city of St. Louis and the Board of Aldermen shares her pain, her frustration and her deep dissatisfaction with the turnout of everything that has happened.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, one of several NFL owners who donated to Trump’s inaugural committee, joined his players and coaches in kneeling before the national anthem played—supporting the players’ right to protest police brutality targeting African Americans.

The Dallas Cowboys (and owner Jerry Jones) are taking a knee together before the national anthem begins pic.twitter.com/beeUJt0pRI

Then they walked to their sideline, stood and locked arms during the national anthem—to honor the flag and military servicemembers, USA Today reported.

In a similar display of solidarity with peaceful NFL protesters, the Cardinals locked arms, while others placed their hand on the shoulder of those who chose to kneel. Cardinals president Michael Bidwill locked arms with standout player Larry Fitzgerald, who locked arms with coach Bruce Arians on the sideline.

On Friday night, Trump set off a firestorm when he called players who kneel during the national anthem “sons of bi**hes,” and urged owners to fire them.

Instead, many players (who had not protested before) and several owners displayed their solidarity and rebuked Trump. Indeed, as ESPN reported, every NFL team, during week three of the season, demonstrated against Trump’s comments.

In a typically bizarre response, Trump ignored reality and doubled down on his position—firing off these tweets:

The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was loudest I have ever heard. Great anger

The incident occurred about 5 a.m. Sept. 1 when the mother Elizabeth Salone, 28, left her son Dante, 8, and her daughter, 7, in Chaney’s care while she drove her brother to work, the Sacramento Bee writes. Upon returning home about 6 a.m., Salone heard crying and went to check on her children. That’s when Chaney is accused of striking her three times with a hammer, the report says.

Then he reportedly sprayed Salone and her house with lighter fluid before attacking her children with the hammer. Dante, who tried to save his sister from the sex assault, died six days later of injuries sustained during the hammer attack, according to the report.

After the attacks, Chaney reportedly “cut off his parolee ankle monitor and [hopped] on an Amtrak train bound for Salt Lake City.”He was later arrested in Winnemuca, Nevada. Chaney’s prior criminal record includes rape, robbery, and assault. Chaney has been charged with Dante’s murder, the attempted murder of Dante’s mother, and with committing “lewd acts” on the 7-year-old sister.

Dante’s grandmother, Monique Brown, told reporters that he was a “sensitive” child who sacrificed his life to save his sister from a child molester. She said that he was a hero, even in death, as his heart was donated to keep another child alive. “A four-year-old lives because of him,” Brown told reporters.

Dante’s family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for medical expenses. The account was set up when both children were struggling to survive their injuries. Dante passed away six days after the brutal attack. On fundraiser site, he is pictured with a wide grin and superimposed angel wings.

“It’s getting hard each day as it comes close to lay our angel, our hero, to rest,” a relative writes on the GoFundMe page. “We [appreciate] you guys so much for your kind words and prayers as well as donations.”

“Does anyone honestly believe that encouraging even our youth to believe they are victims of our society will actually help us come together?” Carson asks rhetorically.

He called on the professional athletes to use their influence more wisely.

Dr. Carson should direct his advise about unity to his boss, who continues to fuel the cause of White supremacist and divide the nation. Where is the condemnation for the violent thugs in Charlottesville or police officers who kill unarmed Black men and escape justice?

Trump was acting “like a sixth grader” when he reacted to NBA star Stephen Curry‘s weekend decision to turn down the longstanding tradition of sitting presidents inviting NBA champions to visit the White House, Popovich said with his typical deadpan delivery during NBA Media Day.

“It’s like a sixth grader’s going to have a party in his backyard so he disinvites him,” Popovich said. “But again, I think the behavior, although it’s disgusting, it’s also comical.”

But Popovich, who served in the military, was just getting started on Trump, who on Friday asked a rabid Alabama crowd,“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now … He is fired!’”

Those comments were clearly directed at blackballed NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick, whose silent protest last season of social justice issues by way of kneeling while the national anthem is played has spread to dozens of others players this season.

“I’m an individual. I live in this country,” Popovich said. “I have the right to say and think what I want.”

That led Pop to go all the way in and talk about race in America.

“People have to be made to feel uncomfortable, and especially white people, because we’re comfortable. We still have no clue what being born white means. And if you read some of the recent literature, you realize there really is no such thing as whiteness. We kind of made it up,” Popovich said. “That’s not my original thought, but it’s true.”

Gregg Popovich poignantly addresses racial divisions in the US: “People have to be made to feel uncomfortable, and especially white people.” pic.twitter.com/nQWZLeg33t

That, of course, provided the perfect segue for Pop to focus again on Trump.

“But it’s gone beyond that to a point where I’m more worried about, and confused by, the people around our president,” Popovich said. “We saw it this weekend with his comments about people who should be fired or people who shouldn’t be allowed to do this sort of thing. I wonder what the people think about who voted for him, where their line is, how much they can take, where does the morality and decency kick in?”

And if that wasn’t honest enough, Popovich went there:

“Our country’s an embarrassment to the world,” he said. “This is an individual who actually thought that when people held arms during the game, that they were doing it to honor the flag. That’s delusional. Absolutely delusional. But it’s what we have to live with.”

[ione_media_gallery id="3478918" overlay="true"]]]>https://newsone.com/3749418/gregg-popovich-trump-quotes-nba-media-day/feed/0Golden State Warriors Media Dayionebwright5 Things We Know About The Tennessee Church Shooterhttps://newsone.com/3749420/5-things-to-know-about-tennessee-church-shooting/
https://newsone.com/3749420/5-things-to-know-about-tennessee-church-shooting/#respondMon, 25 Sep 2017 21:59:45 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3749420]]>Investigators have yet to declare a motive for the church shooting on Sunday in the Nashville area that ended in one death. Although there’s wild speculation on social media—some falsely equating this shooter with the White supremacist Dylan Roof in Charleston—it’s unclear if race (or religion) motivated Emanuel Kidega Samson, who is Black.

According to reports, Samson, 25, exited his vehicle in the parking lot of Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, Tennessee as the service ended and opened fire, killing 39-year-old Melanie Smith as she walked to her car.

He then entered the rear sanctuary door and squeezed off shots, randomly hitting worshippers, including the pastor and his wife. A church usher confronted Samson, who accidently shot himself. The shooter survived his self-inflicted injury. He now faces at least one murder count, plus several other charges. Additionally, the Department of Justice and the FBI are looking into possible federal civil rights charges.

According to Samson’s Facebook page, he lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, but he’s originally from Khartoum, Sudan. The Tennessean reported that Samson immigrated to the United States in 1996 and is a legal U.S. resident, though not an American citizen. As a legal resident, Samson would not be subject to possible deportation under President Donald Trump’s pending termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.

According to CNN, Samson attended the church at least two years ago. Several current members said they did not immediately recognize Samson because he wore a mask during the assault. Sudan is a Muslim nation, with a tiny Christian population. However, the religious beliefs of the Sudanese native are unclear.

Cryptic FB messages

Samson wrote what many are calling “cryptic” messages on his Facebook page hours before the shooting:

“Everything you’ve ever doubted or made to be believe as false, is real.
& vice versa, B.”

“Become the creator instead of what’s created . Whatever you say, goes.”

And above images of Samson flexing his muscles, he posted this message: “Unrestricted, paroxysm.”

Suicide threat

The Tennessean said Samson sent this text message to his father in June: “… I have a gun to my head, have a nice F***ing life.” Police officers tracked down Samson after his father contacted them. WSMV-TV said Samson told the officers that his father “had overblown the situation.”

Domestic Violence

Samson had two encounters with the police—but no arrests—in domestic dispute incidents with his girlfriend, according to The Tennessean. In one of the incidents, he reportedly punched a small TV and broke a small figurine in her home during an argument.

Little Rock’s Central High School was desegregated thanks in part to then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower following the historic verdict of Brown vs. Board of Education, which ruled that schools that were not integrated were in violation of federal law. The Little Rock School Board was the first in the nation to comply with the ruling.

Below are a sampling of photos, videos and quotes from the nine brave souls who emerged victorious in the face of educational adversity to tell their stories.

Melba Pattillo Beals:
“Nobody presents you with a handbook when your teething and says ‘Here’s how you must behave as a second class citizen,’” Beals wrote in “Warriors Don’t Cry,” her 1994 book. “Instead, the humiliating expectations and traditions of segregation creep over you slowly stealing a teaspoonful of your self esteem each day.”

"You are all part of this. I take you with me. Namaste–the God in me sees the God in you" – Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals #LR9#Central60

Elizabeth Eckford:
“The night before when the governor went on television and announced that he had called out the Arkansas National Guard, I thought that he had done this to insure the protection of all the students,” Eckford recalled, according to the website Facing History & Ourselves. “We did not have a telephone, so inadvertently we were not contacted to let us know that Daisy Bates of NAACP had arranged for some ministers to accompany the students in a group. And so, it was I that arrived alone.”

Elizabeth Eckford was the first to integrate on Sept 4th.her experience being the only black student out of 1,200 is well documented. pic.twitter.com/MoGYAM5Bf5

Gloria Ray Karlmark:
“It would put me in doubt about my very existence,” Karlmark said, according to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. “Some things are worth dying for. I stopped being me. I became what was a very important principle, every day in school.”

Carlotta Walls Lanier:
“Yes, I saw all of the anger, and the ugly faces across the street, but I ignored them, and I really did consider them ignorant people,” Lanier told the Smithsonian Magazine. “To be honest with you, that is what really got me through the whole year, that I knew this was ignorance that was making these statements and not the type of people that I would associate with.”

Terrence Roberts:
“In Little Rock, every possible decision had a racial component: where you could live, where you could to go to school, whether you could work or not, whether you could get a bank loan… who you could marry,” Roberts said about his decision to volunteer to enroll in Central High. “This made no sense to me, especially as I discovered there is no such thing as race.”

Jefferson Thomas:
“I had no reason to think that the quiet, peaceful place where I grew up could change so drastically,” Thomas, the only member of the Little Rock Nine who is no longer alive, said about his hometown experience integrating Central High.

Minnijean Brown Trickey:
“What I think about the United States is that we still don’t know what racism is [and] we’re never going to find out because we don’t talk about it,” Trickey told The New York Times’ Upfront in 2012 when asked if she would do it again given the option.

Minnijean Brown Trickey made history as 1 of the Little Rock Nine during the desegregation of LR Central High School. She is a true Shero!!! pic.twitter.com/mWOf4oBNyW

Thelma Mothershed Wair:“I was determined to treat my kids equally,” Wair has said about her adult experience as a teacher. “I taught home economics. I taught white kids and helped them and graded them fairly.”

]]>https://newsone.com/3749349/little-rock-nine-anniversary-photos-video-quotes-central-high-desegregation/feed/0White segregationist demonstrators protesting at the admission of the Little Rock Nine, to Central High School, 1959. The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their enrolionebwrightCarmelo Anthony Pens Emotional Essay To Puerto Rico In Hurricane Maria’s Aftermathhttps://newsone.com/3749324/carmelo-anthony-puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-essay/
https://newsone.com/3749324/carmelo-anthony-puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-essay/#respondMon, 25 Sep 2017 15:45:28 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3749324]]>As we listen to and read the news about Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, there are many natives on the island and descendants on the mainland with family who feel heartbroken over the destruction. Carmelo Anthony is no different.

In a powerful essay forThe Players Tribune, Melo puts pen to page and doesn’t hold back. He asks the reader to imagine what it truly means to be without power for up to six months, as they’re expecting la isla de encanto will be.

“I’m half Puerto Rican and I’m proud of it,” he writes. “Puerto Ricans are my people. But this is about more than that. Puerto Ricans are our fellow Americans. Puerto Ricans are our fellow man. They need our help.”

He talks about how he, like so many Puerto Ricans, have been feeling immense dread as he texts his loved ones on the island and receives no response in return. For the past several days, there have been many reports of people trying to get messages to their family members and friends with no avail.

“Imagine texting someone you love and getting no response for more than a day,” he asks. “I’m just hoping and praying that one person hits me back and gives me some kind of update on what’s going on — lets me know that everything’s OK. But I know it’s not OK.”

In the piece he shares hisYouCaring donation page, which he started with an immediate $50,000 donation and an aim to raise a total of a million dollars. He’s been doing community work on the island for the past 10 years now, specifically helping in redeveloping basketball courts in slum areas such as La Perla in Old San Juan. While he admits there are so many things going on in the world, he sends out a desperate plea for help.

“I know to a lot of people reading the news, it’s just a headline,” he writes. “But man, if you’ve ever been to Puerto Rico, you already know the spirit of the people. The joy of those kids. The energy and good vibes you feel the minute you step on the island.”

[ione_media_gallery id="3748709" overlay="true"]]]>https://newsone.com/3749324/carmelo-anthony-puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-essay/feed/0Carmelo Anthony Attends Soccer Clinics For ChildrensocialstylemillenialChicago Coalition Pushes Obama Foundation For Jobshttps://newsone.com/3749285/chicago-coalition-obama-foundation-jobs-agreement/
https://newsone.com/3749285/chicago-coalition-obama-foundation-jobs-agreement/#respondMon, 25 Sep 2017 14:53:37 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3749285]]>A coalition of Chicago community groups are urging local lawmakers to pass an ordinance that would enforce promises from the Obama Foundation of jobs and community development, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Community stakeholders began calling for a benefits agreement two years ago when the foundation announced that the South Side would host President Barack Obama’s presidential library. Many expect the center to displace some longtime residents and fail to generate the jobs and other benefits that are promised.

However, President Obama attended one of the meetings and told the residents that he would not sign a benefits agreement, The Sun Times said.

According to DNA Info, the former president said the agreement is unnecessary because as a nonprofit it would deliver resources to the community.

He added: “I know the neighborhood. I know that the minute you start saying ‘Well, we’re thinking about signing something that will determine who’s getting jobs and contracts and this and that’ … next thing I know, I’ve got 20 organizations coming out of the woodwork.”

Jay Travis, of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, told the news outlet that a lot is at stake.

“Will Chicago be home to all people regardless of race and income or will we sit back and watch city government systematically remove us?” he asked.

The Coalition’s website says that Chicago has a long history of displacing poor Black families to make “improvements” to the city.

Since the foundation has declined to sign an agreement, the coalition is pressing the City Council to put the promises in writing.

“From our perspective [an ordinance] is the best possible route to get something concrete, bound by contractual law and negotiated with the communities,” Jawanza Malone, executive director of the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization, told the newspaper.

The two aldermen who represent districts near the Obama Center were unavailable to comments to The Sun Times.

Tereasa Martin, Jenkins’ mother, said in a Facebook Live post that she’s still arranging for a location that can accommodate the flood of supporters expected to attend.

After the ceremony, activists plan to rally outside the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont, a suburb of Chicago, where the 19-year-old’s body was found dead inside a walk-in restaurant freezer on Sept. 10.

Many in the community—indeed across the nation—are demanding answers from investigators.

Jenkins went missing early Sept. 9 after a night of partying with friends at the hotel. The Rosemont police quickly concluded that she staggered drunk into the freezer and closed the door. However, evidence began emerging on social media that suggests foul play was involved, spawning seemingly endless conspiracy theories.

A groundswell of interest in the case heaped pressure on the police to continue their investigation. The authorities released 36 hours of hotel surveillance video, which shows the teenager staggering, presumably intoxicated. However, none of the footage shows her walking into the freezer. That omission has led many to believe the police altered the video.

Jenkins’ family and supporters urged the FBI to join the investigation. But the agency declined to get involved, adding to the frustration African-Americans feel about the undervaluing of Black lives compared to White lives.

Meanwhile, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said the autopsy report awaits results of toxicology tests and additional investigation, the newspaper reported.

Two days afterPresident Donald Trump condemned NFL players and coaches for not respecting the National Anthem, more players took a knee than ever before. Every team that has played so far has reacted to his ignorant and divisive comments in some way. Check out how your favorite team is taking a stand against POTUS below.

It started Sunday morning with the Minnesota Vikings locking arms with their team’s owner and kneeling and continued with the games that started this afternoon.

Eight Lions players, including running back Ameer Abdullah, linebacker Tahir Whitehead and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, took a knee for the anthem along with Rico LaVelle, who sang the National Anthem and took a knee and raised a fist as the song ended.

Business tycoon and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank locked arms with some of his players and released the following statement regarding Trump’s response:

“We are at our very best when we are working together, building unity and including everyone’s voice in a constructive dialogue. Creating division or demonizing viewpoints that are different than our own accomplishes nothing positive and undermines our collective ability to achieve the ideals of our democracy. The NFL has historically been a strong catalyst for positive change and I’m proud of the way our players, coaches and staff use that platform to give back to our community and strive to be good citizens making a positive impact on this and future generations.”

This comes in response to the president’s attack on Stephen Curry and the NFL player’s protest of police brutality led by Colin Kaepernick, whom Trump called a “son of a b**ch.” Many across the nation are planning to #TakeTheKnee on Sunday in solidarity with the protest and in response to Trump.

The president, however, responded on Sunday by doubling on Twitter, calling on NFL owners to “fire or suspend” players who keel during the national anthem. His appeal is more red meat to his base, which wraps its racism in the flag and patriotism.

If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!

On Saturday, LeBron James called Trump a “bum” after the president strangely said he will not invite Curry to the White House after the Golden State Warriors superstar announced on Friday that he’s not interested in meeting Trump for the traditional champion’s White House visit.

BREAKING PETTY AF NEWS!!

Lebron James tweet calling Trump a bum has more likes and RTs than any Trump tweet ever!

Meanwhile, several NFL team owners have issued statements supporting the players, the Miami Herald reported.

According to the Herald, the Buffalo Bill held a voluntary team meeting on Saturday. Following that meeting, owners Terry and Kim Pegula released a comment calling Trump’s remarks “divisive and disrespectful to the entire NFL community.”

“Our players have the freedom to express themselves in a respectful and thoughtful manner and we all agreed that our sole message is to provide and to promote an environment that is focused on love and equality,” the statement continued.

San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York described Trump’s remarks as “callous and offensive,” adding that the president’s words are “contradictory to what this great country stands for,” The Herald reported.

York stated that the players are exercising their constitutional rights to stimulate a national debate about social injustice.

While delivering remarks at a campaign event for Sen. Luther Strange, he seemed to call out NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick over the powerful decision to kneel during American flag ceremonies last year in efforts to bring awareness to social injustices.

During the event, Trump asked the crowd if they would “love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘get that son of a bitch off the field right now.'” He also added that if an NFL coach were to take that type of action, they would become “the most popular person in this country.” Trump says kneeling during the National Anthem is a blatant form of disrespect and that those who choose to do so should be fired.

Kaepernick isn’t the only person in the realm of sports who Trump has come after. Nearly two weeks ago, the White House demanded that ESPN fire sports journalist Jemele Hill, after she called Trump a “White supremacist” in a series of tweets.

After word spread about Trump’s remarks on Friday, several NFL players and activists took to Twitter to let him know that his comments were uncalled for and that he could have a football stadium full of seats.

The influx of conspiracy theories centered on how exactly a Black teenager came to be found dead in a suburban Chicago hotel storage freezer has all but taken over social media feeds and timelines across the internet. But while they vary widely, they all still seemingly share one thing in common: Two weeks after Kenneka Jenkins died in the Rosemont Crowne Plaza, they still haven’t helped law enforcement crack the case.

In fact, law enforcement has said the conspiracy theories that have been mostly generated by a host of online amateur detectives may be doing more harm than good.

A new conspiracy theory seems to pop up online daily. While some seem to be more credible than others – like the one offered by Crowne Plaza hotel staffers who demonstrated in front of the fateful walk-in freezer how Jenkins never could have closed the door – most are far-fetched at best (like the one alleging a massive “organ harvesting” operation gone bad).

One of the more plausible conspiracy theories claims she was drugged, something that police were likely considering since security surveillance footage captured Jenkins staggering around the hotel before making her way into a kitchen area where the freezer was.

Jenkins’ mother, Tereasa Martin, has also posited some potential theories, though none of them seem conspiracy based. Most of her attention has been aimed at the hotel, which she said delayed taking any immediate action after the 19-year-old Chicago native was first reported missing in the early hours of September 9.

But she has also blamed police for the same reason – a police force that has been accused of corruption in the past. Martin has asked the FBI to investigate, but the Rosemont Police Department has said it will tae the lead on the case.

However, there had yet to be a major break in the case, something Rosemont’s mayor seemed to blame on of all the conspiracy theories floating around.

“It’s unfortunate that some of that stuff is convoluting the investigation because all those leads have got to be followed up on,” Stephens told the Chicago Tribune last week. “As I’m sure you’ve seen, there’s a lot of different speculation out there, so [police] are doing their best to come to a quick resolution, obviously. I think everybody wants to know what happened.”

]]>https://newsone.com/3748976/new-kenneka-jenkins-conspiracy-theories-social-media-not-helping/feed/3Teen from Chicago found dead in walk-in freezer at hotelionebwright‘Showcase Of Ignorance:’ White Sorority Sparks Outrage Over N-Word Usehttps://newsone.com/3748933/white-sorority-nigga-kanye-west-gold-digger-controversy/
https://newsone.com/3748933/white-sorority-nigga-kanye-west-gold-digger-controversy/#respondFri, 22 Sep 2017 23:14:42 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3748933]]>For African Americans, there’s no word that symbolizes collective racial injuries and sheds light on the totality of White violence than the N-word. Yet, a group of White sorority girls shouted the word as if it were nothing while singing along to Kanye West‘s “Gold Digger” in a recent video.

The controversial clip of Alpha Phi Sorority sisters dancing and singing the racially charged word at the University of New Hampshire was instantly condemned after it was posted to social media, the New York Post reports.

A university spokeswoman said the sorority will not face punishment, TMZ reports.

But the student anti-racism Facebook group, “All Eyes on UNH,” called out the disturbing event, sparking more commentary about just why white people can’t stop saying the word.

“The girls sing the N-word without thinking of the implications,” the group’s post reads. “This is a showcase of ignorance and that the Panhellenic Council should do better in combating racism. The first step is addressing willful ignorance.”

Yes, Black people have reclaimed the word in an effort to rewrite a grave wrong in America, changing the”er” at the end of the word to “a.” Yes, Black artists have given a new power and creative energy to the term through music.

But social media users point out that the loaded term is still inextricably linked to black suffering. Users really drove the point home that certain groups should not take the saying of the word in a song as a license to repeat it, especially in the age of Trump-era racism and after the tragedy in Charlottesville.

[ione_media_gallery id="3634643" overlay="true"]]]>https://newsone.com/3748933/white-sorority-nigga-kanye-west-gold-digger-controversy/feed/0NAACP Holds Mock Funeral To Bury The 'N-Word'socialstylemillenialEx-Missouri College Wrestler Sentenced To 10 Years For HIV Exposurehttps://newsone.com/3748930/michael-l-johnson-10-year-sentence-in-hiv-transmission-case/
https://newsone.com/3748930/michael-l-johnson-10-year-sentence-in-hiv-transmission-case/#respondFri, 22 Sep 2017 19:56:39 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3748930]]>A Missouri man was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison on charges of infecting a sex partner with the virus, and endangering four others, TheAssociated Press reports.

In a case that is emblematic of how HIV criminalization unfairly impacts Black people and stigmatizes people living with HIV, Michael L Johnson, 25, was sentenced after reaching a plea deal, the report says.

Johnson, who is Black and gay, became a cause de célèbre among criminal justice reform groups and gay rights activists who charged HIV criminalization is outdated, in part due to advances in treatment for the virus, The AP writes. The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri took it a step further, arguing that his race and sexuality played into his conviction.

The former wrestler at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, faced 30 years in prison after a jury decided in 2015 that he knowingly exposed and transmitted HIV to partners who had no idea he carried the virus. But an appeals court dismissed the guilty verdict, The AP notes, ruling that a trial court improperly admitted jail recordings that were not disclosed in advance to Johnson’s attorneys. The recordings were used to cast doubt on Johnson’s assertion that he informed his sex partners about his HIV status.

The system has failed Michael L. Johnson. Court serves him 10 years in HIV transmission case. https://t.co/IBuD04fPUc

In the plea deal, Johnson “acknowledged that the state has enough evidence to convict him. The concurrent 10-year sentence was the mandatory minimum for the two most serious charges — recklessly infecting and recklessly exposing a sexual partner to HIV,” writes The AP.

In a civil complaint filed Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Superior Court, Dominique Hill, a former employee of BLT Prime steakhouse in the luxury Trump International Hotel, and Irving Smith Jr., a current one, accuse the manager of racial discrimination.

The suit accuses the Trump Organization and hotel managing director Mickael Damelincourt of steering Black employees to less lucrative shifts and subjecting them to discriminatory behavior by other staff and by guests, the report says. Another former BLT employee, JaNette Sturdivant, also joined the suit.

The Trump Organization dismisses the charges, saying the three employees worked for a third-party employer, ESquared Hospitality, not Trump International Hotel. But the plaintiffs’ lawyer, A.J. Dhali, claims that Trump International is responsible “because of the nature of the management contract between the hotel and ESquared,” the Post writes.

Smith and Hill allege that racist behavior increased after the presidential election. Smith told reporters that a coworker said, “This is white America time, you need to get used to it, and if you don’t get used to it you should go work somewhere else,” the report notes.He said management failed to respond to his complaints.

Hill alleges that he was fired for spilling an alcoholic beverage on a baby while a White coworker was given a pass for spilling champagne down a bride’s dress. The third plaintiff says a supervisor told her, “It’s good to see someone with Milano complexion here.” A Washington Post reporter observed the restaurant and confirmed that, while the day staff seemed “diverse,” the night shift bartenders were exclusively White.

Howard University student activists interrupted James Comey’s keynote convocation speech there late Friday morning, with protesters alternating between various chants of resistance such as “we shall not be moved” and “Black lives, they matter here!” At the heart of the student protest was the former FBI director’s endorsement of the so-called “Ferguson effect” that would eventually be widely debunked.

Before Comey took the stage, students made their defiant, collective presence felt in the hallway outside the auditorium by chanting “Get out James Comey, you ain’t my homie!” Comey would ultimately deliver his address in spite of continuous chanting from the audience.

JUST NOW: Howard University students chant "Get out James Comey, you ain't my homie!" before his keynote address. pic.twitter.com/NosMrO49jF

A number of Black lives were lost under questionable circumstances while Comey led the FBI, including the high-profile killings of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner.

Many of those deaths were recorded on video before they eventually went viral. Comey blamed that trend on the “Ferguson effect,” a reference to the suburban St. Louis community at the center of Brown’s killing by a White police officer.

“There’s a perception that police are less likely to do the marginal additional policing that suppresses crime — the getting out of your car at 2 in the morning and saying to a group of guys, ‘Hey, what are you doing here?’” Comey said last year.

Aside from the other deaths, Howard students also reminded Comey about more Black people who they said were killed by the FBI, according to one user on Twitter.

Students may have also been protesting Comey for the timing of his announcement last year to Congress that the FBI found new information surrounding an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of personal email while she was secretary of state. Comey made the announcement shortly before last year’s presidential election, and many people believed that helped Donald Trump win.

Howard hired Comey was hired last month to lead a lecture series on the HBCU’s Washington, D.C., campus. When he accepted the position to become Howard’s King Endowed Chair in Public Policy, Comey seemingly foreshadowed Friday’s events.

“Howard has a longstanding history of being a vibrant academic community and the perfect place to have rich dialogue on many of the most pressing issues we face today,” Comey said last month. “I look forward to contributing to this remarkable institution and engaging students and faculty alike.”

Beginning in 2018, the city’s nearly 12,000 officers will be required to undergo 16 hours of training, including eight hours of in scenario-based instruction in the department’s revised use-of-force policy. A “vast majority” of officers will have to complete a four-hour course on that policy by Oct. 15 when the new policy will take effect.

The other eight hours will “focus on topics such as de-escalating tense encounters, dealing with people with mental health issues, training on counterterrorism measures and refreshers on state and federal laws,” the report says.

“The academy, and the department as a whole, is committed to making this happen,” Chicago Commander Daniel Godsel said, notes the report.

Training hours will then increase to 24 hours in 2019, 32 in 2020 and 40 in 2021 before leveling off at 40 starting in 2022, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Cops will also have to take courses on procedural justice, police report writing, vehicle pursuits and firearms training, community policing and more relevant topics.

The announcement comes as the department looks to add nearly 1,000 officers to its force by the end of next year. Recruits will participate in months of training before they hit the streets, according to the Tribune.

The move comes after decades of complaints about police brutality, which was underscored by the death of Laquan McDonald, 17, who was fatally shot 16 times in October 2014 by former White officer Jason Van Dyke.

In January, the Department of Justice released a scathing report that found officers in the city frequently operated outside of the law, which prompted the retraining program. Officials did not release cost estimates for the retraining.

The Navy surgeon general made nationwide policy adjustments after Allyson Thompson and Joanie Barrett were identified as the employees in viral photos and videos filmed at the hospital, the report says. The pair is also accused of sharing a photo of a staffer holding up her middle finger to a newborn with the caption: “How I currently feel about these ‘mini Satans,’” reports The Huffington Post.

“The Navy surgeon general responded Wednesday and ordered an immediate review of all Navy Medicine commands,” according to the television news outlet.

Vice Admiral Forrest Faison made other wide-sweeping changes, including banning the use of personal cellphones around patients and ordering Navy officers to make personal contact with new and expecting mothers to address concerns about the incident and reassure them of the hospital’s services.

As the video and photos went viral, some critics thought the staffers were nurses. But they are corpsmen, or the equivalent of nursing assistants, who should have been supervised by a doctor or nurse, the report says.

[ione_media_gallery id="3447658" overlay="true"]]]>https://newsone.com/3748805/naval-hospital-removed-50-cent-in-da-club/feed/0Newborn Baby Girlashafrench‘Educated Fool’: Maxine Waters Sounds Off On Ben Carson And ‘Racist’ Jeff Sessionshttps://newsone.com/3748860/maxine-waters-impeach-ben-carson-jeff-sessions-cbc/
https://newsone.com/3748860/maxine-waters-impeach-ben-carson-jeff-sessions-cbc/#respondFri, 22 Sep 2017 15:07:41 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3748860]]>Maxine Waters’ all-out assault on the Trump administration showed no signs of letting up on Thursday when she targeted perhaps the lowest hanging fruit in the president’s cabinet: Ben Carson. The outspoken Democratic congresswoman took aim at the Republican secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development while speaking at the Congressional Black Caucus’ annual conference in Washington, D.C., according to the Washington Examiner.

“Look at Ben Carson. My God. My grandmother would call him an educated fool,” Waters said to the crowd. “Here’s a man who has a reputation of being a highly competent surgeon, but when he talks about poor people, he says they’re the cause of their poverty. He doesn’t understand why you didn’t do what he did and why you didn’t make it like he made it. And he doesn’t know the difference between slavery and immigration,”

Her comments came on the same day she told Mic that she will do whatever it takes to stop Jeff Sessions‘ “racist” intentions of tightening drug laws.

“We’re trying to push back and fight against a man who comes to this very important office of attorney general with a racist background, with a background against all of the progressive laws that have been put in place, in order to deal with police departments,” Waters said. “We’ve been able to get some progress in relaxing the mandatory minimum sentencing. But the work is not done.”

The fiery lawmaker has been very vocal in challenging the current administration, as shown by her frequent calls for the 45th president to be impeached.

“I’m cleaning out the White House. I’m going to sanitize the White House,” Waters said at Dick Gregory‘s memorial last weekend. “When I get through with Donald Trump, he’s gonna wish he was impeached!”

On Thursday, Jenkins-Hernandez reportedly announced that she believes her former fiancé, an NFL star and convicted felon, killed himself as a result of C.T.E. She’s now suing the New England Patriots and the NFL for keeping Hernandez uninformed about the disease and its impact. The effects of C.T.E., a degenerative brain disease, is one of the most controversial topics in professional sports today. Studies have shown that the repeated head injuries that are common in football and boxing can lead to C.T.E. among athletes, with some even calling for a ban on football due to the associated risks. Obviously, that has the league shook.

According to TMZ the suit reportedly claims, “Aaron had stage 3 CTE, usually seen in players with a median age of death of 67 years.” She also claims that the NFL and the Patriots knew about the link between CTE and suicidal impulses and failed to share that information with Hernandez, who ended his own life while in prison this past April. She added that the team and league “were fully aware of the damage that could be inflicted from repetitive impact injuries and failed to disclose, treat or protect him from the dangers of such damage.”

Jenkins-Hernandez and her daughter are seeking “redress for the loss of parental consortium she has experienced based on the negligent conduct of Defendants that deprived her of the companionship and society of her father, Aaron Hernandez.” The suit added, “On April 19, 2017, Aaron succumbed to the symptoms of CTE and committed suicide.”

Hernandez was serving a life sentence for murder when he took his own life in the Souza-Baranowski prison in Lancaster, Mass. It sounds like there are many factors at play when it comes to dissecting the reason for his suicide, and it’s looking like they will be all hashed out in court if this lawsuit moves forward.

The National Museum of African American History of Culture is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine, who became the first Black students to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. on September 25, 1957. To commemorate, NMAAHC will hold a panel discussion with the group’s surviving members. Details can be found here.

Big Facts

BBC reports that scientists have devised an antibody that attacks 99% of HIV strains, with an ability to prevent infection in primates.

“Our bodies struggle to fight HIV because of the virus’ incredible ability to mutate and change its appearance,” BBC writes. “These varieties of HIV – or strains – in a single patient are comparable to those of influenza during a worldwide flu season. So the immune system finds itself in a fight against an insurmountable number of strains of HIV.”

So could this be a step in the direction of finding a cure? Perhaps. According to the International Aids Society, who’s calling this an “exciting breakthrough,” trials will begin in 2018 to see if it’s a possibility.

Big Lies

North Korea said Friday it’s considering testing a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean in response to Trump’s threats to “totally destroy” the country. Kim Jong Un, who called Trump “mentally deranged” and is responsible for #DotardTrump now trending on social media, said the president will “pay dearly” for his threats, Reuters reports.

“Far from making remarks of any persuasive power that can be viewed to be helpful to defusing tension, [Trump] made unprecedented rude nonsense one has never heard from any of his predecessors,” Kim reportedly stated in a translated statement. “A frightened dog barks louder. I’d like to advise Trump to exercise prudence in selecting words, and to be considerate of whom he speaks to when making a speech in front of the world.”

[ione_media_gallery id="3468580" overlay="true"]]]>https://newsone.com/3748850/little-rock-nine-african-american-history-culture-museum-celebration/feed/0(HR) ABOVE: Eight of the nine members of the LIttle Rock Nine posed for photographers outside Congregation Emanuel before the interfaith service. They are from left to right: Terrence Roberts Carlotta Walls LaNier , Minnijean Brown Trickey JionenewsoneFormer Sheriff David Clarke Tells Reporter ‘F-You’ In Email Response To Questionshttps://newsone.com/3748772/sheriff-david-clarke-reporter-f-you/
https://newsone.com/3748772/sheriff-david-clarke-reporter-f-you/#respondThu, 21 Sep 2017 21:03:25 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3748772]]>Milwaukee County’s former sheriff, David Clarke, just can’t seem to stay away from negative headlines. In the past week, the Naval Postgraduate School alerted him that it would revoke his degree if he doesn’t revise his plagiarized master’s thesis. Clarke went on a 24-hour Twitter tirade days later and was widely rebuked for calling California Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters a “Black supremacist.”

Now, Twitter is buzzing with the latest outrage from the Black conservative.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Daniel Bice wrote that Clarke dropped the “F-bomb” on him in response to a couple of email questions about Clarke’s spending of taxpayer dollars for his home security while serving as Milwaukee County’s sheriff.

Here’s Clarke’s answer to the questions: “F – you and the horse you rode in on. I’m David Clarke and I approve this message.” Brice posted a screenshot of the exchange on Twitter.

Bice’s questions stem from the official release of information that Clarke spent more than $225,000 of county funds this year to pay for “round-the-clock security” at his home. It came to light when acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt decided to terminate the security detail, according to Bice.

Clarke is no stranger to controversy surrounding his tenure as sheriff. He’s infamous for overseeing a shoddy county jail system, in which at least four people died, including a baby, The Huffington Postreported.

That’s likely one of the reasons that Clarke was unable to land a White House post after he resigned his sheriff position. He now works as a senior adviser and spokesman with the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action.

[ione_media_gallery id="3478918" overlay="true"]]]>https://newsone.com/3748772/sheriff-david-clarke-reporter-f-you/feed/0US-VOTE-REPUBLICANS-CONVENTIONnigelroberts1Wrongfully Convicted Baltimore Man Exonerated After Serving 13 Years Of Life Sentencehttps://newsone.com/3748715/wrongful-conviction-lamar-johnson-baltimore/
https://newsone.com/3748715/wrongful-conviction-lamar-johnson-baltimore/#respondThu, 21 Sep 2017 17:23:39 +0000http://newsone.com/?p=3748715]]>The nightmare is over for a Baltimore man who served nearly 14 years of a life sentence for a murder he didn’t commit.

WJZ-TV reports that a judge on Tuesday threw out the wrongful conviction of Lamar Johnson after three new witnesses came forward to say he was not the gunman who killed Carlos Sawyer in 2004. He walked out the courtroom a free man.

Lamar Johnson spent 13 years behind bars wrongly identified then convicted for a murder he didn't commit. Hear from him at 6pm on 11 news pic.twitter.com/flh4mvUtWS

This is a case of mistaken identity. After the fatal shooting, the police made Johnson the main target of their investigation because he had the same nickname as the alleged suspect, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Several witnesses testified that Johnson resembled the shooter, and the jury, swayed by the eyewitnesses, dismissed evidence of Johnson’s innocence, the newspaper said.

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, legal director of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, told The Sun that these types of case have numerous obstacles, including overcoming a culture that discourages snitching.

They hunted down scores of possible witnesses and discovered one man who saw the shooter. Later, another man revealed that he heard someone confess. The third witness said the gunman ran past her after the shooting.

The newspaper said Johnson is the second man exonerated during Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby’s tenure. Her office cooperated with the organization.

In a statement, she apologized to Johnson and his family on behalf of the city’s criminal justice system, according to WJZ-TV.

“It is my hope that now that he is set free, that he is able to return home, heal, adjust to his rightly-deserved freedom, and live his life to its fullest potential,” she said, noting that her office is “committed to pursuing justice equally and fairly.”

Mosby also stated that her office will work with law enforcement to track down and convict the man who killed Sawyer.

[ione_media_gallery id="3478918" overlay="true"]]]>https://newsone.com/3748715/wrongful-conviction-lamar-johnson-baltimore/feed/0After 13 years, Baltimore man free after new witnesses say he is innocent of 2004 murdernigelroberts1After 13 years, Baltimore man free after new witnesses say he is innocent of 2004 murder